Pete Seeger is fond of reminding me that the one of the places where
real folk music most happens is in churches - as opposed to the
coffeehouses and folk festivals that form the centerpieces for the
continuing folk revival. Two things about that statement are indisputably
true: Places of worship and work provide the social anchor for much of
society today, and church choirs provide an outlet for some of the most
amazing and beautiful music made by regular folks.

It was the melding of those influences that, in 1994, gave birth to the
Whiteville Apparel Choir, a group of 24 machinists, stitchers and pressers at
a men's suit factory in Whiteville, North Carolina. many of the workers at
the union facility already sang in various church choirs in the area, so
it was natural that they would join after work to join voice for the
Lord. And just as natural that the other common force in their lives -
their work - would influence that common voice as well. The group of
workers first gathered together informally to prepare some gospel
selections for a promotional program at the plant. But it wasn't long
before the choir was belting out an eclectic mix of solidarity-tinged
originals and anthemic rewrites of contemporary R&B standards, along with
those gospel favorites, at their biweekly rehearsals. Following their
debut performance, they were invited to sing at a union conference in
Greensboro, North Carolina. Their performance so sparked those in
attendance that the group soon became a fixture at regional and national
union conferences and a bright light at union gatherings and demonstrations
throughout their home region. As union District manager Phil Cohen says,
"If a picture is worth a thousand words, a song is worth a thousand
speeches! People are accustomed to hearing a series of speeches, but the
choir introduced a whole new element interspersing those spoken words with
songs. They began by singing gospel material - adding the labor material
happened spontaneously. Music hasn't really been prominent in the labor
movement for some time. I see the choir as a real turning point in that
regard. Folks sing gospel, and some do labor songs, but the choir is the
only group I've heard that has synthesized the two. Their music goes to
the heart and soul of the people we represent."

When the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union merged with the
International Ladies' Garment Workers Union to form UNITE! in 1995, the
choir was invited to sing at the founding conference in Miami. That
weekend in June, several thousand workers from all over the U.S., Puerto
Rico and Canada gathered to celebrate their solidarity. Watching the
choir galvanize the delegates inspired Cohen to approach the union
leadership for money to produce a recording to be used as a fund-raiser
for UNITE!'s political action work. Together was released in the
spring of 1996.

Much as gospel music was right at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement
in the '60's, this music is a great tool for the labor movement today.
"All songs have a message," notes choir member and current director Melvin
Chambers (pictured with microphone). "Our songs are all about struggle,"
she says "and that's something that unions and gospel music have in
common."

Nowhere is that connection, or their devotion to the message, better
illustrated than through the choir's work at strikes and labor
demonstrations. "Apparel workers really are an endangered species in the
U.S. today," notes Cohen as he recalls the choir's efforts during the
recently concluded Kmart boycott in North Carolina. The union efforts to
organize 550 workers at the Kmart distribution center resulted in long
and hard contract negotiations. "They were at every single
demonstration... folks were literally getting arrested to the soundtrack
of the Whiteville Apparel Choir," recalls Cohen.

The choir has recently been involved with demonstrations against
sweatshops, helping to protest congressional efforts to slash OSHA
regulations, and a Solidarity Day program at the Brooks Brothers plant 45
minutes north of Whiteville. They also performed at last year's
Clearwater Revival, at a program put together by the Labor Heritage
Foundation at Duke University, and are looking forward (at this writing)
to a special celebration for Martin Luther King Day in Durham on January
20.

"You have to understand the love, faith and dedication these folks make
available to the union whenever necessary," Cohen continues. "These are
working people. They'll get off work at 3 p.m. on Friday, drive to
Atlanta to sing at a conference, and then drive back the 3 1/2 hours to
Greenville to be at work that Monday morning. Part of their appeal is
that their commitment is so contagious. It's impossible to be in their
presence for five minutes and not get caught up in their message."

The choir's material is drawn from some really interesting sources,
including classic folk (like Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land") and rhythm
and blues (like Bill Wither's "Lean on Me"). "The songs come from within
the ranks of the choir," notes Chambers,"and the arrangements are put
together by various members, including our keyboardist, Kenneth Stanley,
or his sister, Anna, or myself."

Stanley may be the only trained musician in the choir, but others,
including Chambers, are formidable natural talents and bring a lot to the
sound. "The arrangements are very carefully put together," notes Cohen.
"Watching them work and arrange, it's obvious that they're really
excellent musicians - not a lot of training, but naturally talented.

"I've heard them begin to work on a song at one rehearsal, then marveled
as extra harmonies are added and the song grows in a very conscious way.
What really characterizes their music, though, is the spontaneity and
enthusiasm they bring to it. They do a song because they fall in love with
it. One of the interesting choices they've been working on lately is the
theme from An Officer and a Gentleman - you know, the song that
goes 'Lift us up where we belong.' I never would have thought about that
song in the context of workers' rights, but it's perfect. They have a
real interpretive genius that way.

"But mostly, this is music that sprang up spontaneously from a group of
working people - folk art at its finest!"